Wednesday, January 30, 2008

“As president, Barack Obama will build upon his efforts in the Senate to ensure that more Metropolitan Planning Organizations create policies to incentivize greater bicycle and pedestrian usage of roads and sidewalks. He will also re-commit federal resources to public mass transportation projects across the country.”

So, I'm not going to rehash the weather report. Likely, you know that the entire country is in a deep-freeze right now. But after yesterday, with the rain and wind (and my bike getting wet), followed by a frigid day, I decided that biking today might not be the smartest thing.

So, I walked. I was a tad chilly, but I wore my Irish sweater and was nice and toasty except for my legs and face. Long underwear helped with the legs, and a scarf and hat kept me going. It took about 25 minutes to go the 1.9 miles to work, not a bad jaunt. I still got some exercise and I feel much better AFTER my walk then I did before it.

Again, I think it's important to have a backup plan for your commute, on days like today when biking just isn't going to cut it nearly as well (as Columbus is under a wind advisory right now - the wind is at gusts of 41 mph) as another option. That doesn't mean you have to take your car, though, does it? There are buses, taxis, and of course your own two feet!

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

If you live in the Columbus area and can pick up the Simply Living Radio station at 98.3/102.1 FM, listen in at 6:00 on Fridays for "Cranksters," the cycling show hosted by Zach Henkel. This Friday, you'll be able to hear yours truly and other cycling personalities from Columbus as Zach presents his show on Columbus cycling resources. He features a couple of blogs among his offerings for the week, so listen in!

According to Zach, the 98.3 signals works best in the Central Columbus/Clintonville area, and 102.1 works best on the north side. There are more details at the above link about which stations are easiest to pick up and where.

Also on the show will be Ray George, the blogger for Columbus Rides! His link has been added to the Columbus bloggers to the right as well.

Friday, January 11, 2008

I've been wanting a way to video-record my trips to and from work and elsewhere, but haven't wanted to shell out the money for a helmet-mounted camera and the works.

Now, thanks to the folks at Instructables.com, there's a way: one of their users has designed his Covert Spy Sunglasses! You still need your own actual camera, but the mounting part can be done for less than $40.00 (according to their estimate).

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Maybe people are just looking for new ways to work off their aggression after the Bayou thrashing that the Buckeyes took this week, but I've had two people ask me about biking to work just out of the blue recently. That's more than... well, ever.

Tuesday, a fellow named Matt saw me on the shuttle between our building and the hospital, and asked "are you that guy who bikes to work?" Of course, I answered in the affirmative, and then he asked the big question: "do you ride through the winter?" Again, I answered yes.

He told me about how he likes to bike down here during the more pleasant months, taking the Olentangy Trail from Worthington. But he was finding that he didn't have time to get changed and showered at the RPAC and still get over here by 7:00 (when he starts work). I told him about the shower in one of our buildings here, and we'll see if he gets started. I wished him the best and told him to ask me if he wanted any advice.

Today, just a few minutes ago, a fellow named Aaron stopped me (actually, he kind of had to yell at me since I was listening to some music on my phone) as I stumbled out of the bathroom holding my panniers, jacket, and helmet and was saying that he was a cyclist, too, and that he didn't know where to park his bike over here. He'd biked when he was on the main campus, and I showed him just how nice a place we have to park here (covered, at a main entrance but sort of concealed).

Both guys were pleased to hear that I'd found I was able to get rid of my car altogether, and even looked a little bit wistful at the thought.

I may be seeing a couple of new bikes on the racks in a few days if all goes well!

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

After the last few days of last week, I decided it was time for me to pick up some technical clothing to keep warm and comfortable on my rides, so I grabbed some UnderArmor ColdGear stuff from Dick's Sporting Goods at Easton. Just one top, as I wouldn't be wearing it all day, but it's sleek enough that it'll help with the bulkiness under my jacket. And I have my wet-weather pants to wear for the "other" problem.

So, what happened? Well, the past two days I've been wearing SHORTS on my trips to work! It's been in the sixties - a 50-degree jump!

Glad I spent money on the ColdGear stuff... though obviously this weather won't last forever. Sigh.

Thursday, January 3, 2008

First of all, Happy New Year, everyone! Thanks for sticking around here and posting comments as often as you do. I am a bit overwhelmed at some of the attention I've gotten from all of you, but grateful as well. And for the couple of you I've actually met face to face, well, it was great meeting you Tom and Gabe, and I hope to see you around more.

Okay, to business ( "To Business!"). As some of you know, it's been pretty freaking cold around here the past few days. And I've switched my bike-wear to wearing long underwear and my Cannondale winter bike tights (and I finally look like a cyclist). All is well... though I do need to find some closer-fitting base layers and fleece layers for my upper body to fit a bit better under my jacket.

The only issue I'm running into is... yeah, you guessed it - my nether regions. It's freezin' down there! The wind getting through a bit down there, despite the long underwear, tights, and UnderArmor underwear. So... what sorts of techniques do all of you use to keep yourselves from having to search around once you've gotten to work and have to pee, or whatever?